Gov. Christie wants every N.J. county to develop a school for children with autism

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PARAMUS — Gov. Chris Christie said he is exploring a plan to develop a school in each county that specializes in educating children with autism.

Responding to a question during a town hall meeting Thursday in Paramus, the governor said the idea has merit because it would offer a cost-effective alternative to cash-strapped communities trying to create their own special education curriculum for these students.

The idea, if developed, would also help families who have to research on their own which school district has the best program. The governor described the schools as "centers for excellence" in each county.

"The parents in this community know which districts are the best districts and they move to those districts," Christie said. "We’re having that kind of selection happen naturally so why don’t we just do it? I’ll be working with the new Commissioner of Education on that."

The news came as a welcome surprise to Linda Meyer, executive director of Autism New Jersey, a family advocacy and research group.

"We know the governor has prioritized education reform for everyone,’’ Meyer said. "It sounds like he is aiming for equality and access for all. He wants to increase access, not just those who live in certain zip codes.’’

"I am really excited about his attention and confident he will come through for us,’’ she added.

The idea of how to best educate a child with autism has evolved over 40 years, starting with parents in the 1970s insisting children attend public schools but are taught separately. In the 1980s and 1990s, parents fought for "inclusion" inside classrooms with other children.

"Now we see a trend toward segregated programs," said Lisa Ruble, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Ruble said.

Ruble, who specializes in autism research, said she was not familiar with Christie’s proposal of creating more separate schools.

"I personally believe that each program must be individualized and that some children may benefit for a period of time in a specialized program that does not include typical peers," she said. "But I have observed, and research also shows, that children with autism benefit from social skills interventions and need access to typical peers for this learning."

Christie holds first town hall of new year in ParamusGov. Chris Christie held his first town hall meeting of the new year this morning at a packed Elks club in Paramus. Some 500 people turned out for the event, many of them local business owners. In his talk, Christie highlighted many now familiar topics, including pension reform and eliminating teacher tenure, but many attendees said they appreciated his tough love approach. (Video by Nyier Abdou/The Star-Ledger)

"We know for sure that there is no "one size fits all" approach here and each child needs a personalized program that includes a collaborative team approach,’’ she said.

One in 94 children in New Jersey has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which means they may suffer from mild social impairments or from serious communication, language and learning deficiencies. The national average rate of autism is 1 in 110, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.